from the Economic Policy Institute: "One hallmark of the first 30 years after World War II was the “countervailing power” of labor unions (not just at the bargaining table but in local, state, and national politics) and their ability to raise wages and working standards for members and non-members alike. There were stark limits to union power—which was concentrated in some sectors of the economy and in some regions of the country—but the basic logic of the postwar accord was clear: Into the early 1970s, both median compensation and labor productivity roughly doubled."

click here for the complete article, which includes very useful charts and explanatory videos:

*http://www.epi.org/blog/union-decline-rising-inequality-charts/*